Chapter 25
TWENTY-FIVE
Ican’t stop staring at our joined hands and the bracelets we are wearing.
He’s actually wearing the one I made. I didn’t know if he would.
It isn’t expensive, but he seems to like it.
The fact that he made me one as well? I swear I fell harder in that moment.
Zia thought about my favorite colors and likes as well, which makes it that much more special.
I’ll never take it off. He also looked so nervous when he gave it to me, I wanted to frame that memory.
Instead, I will hold it in the bracelet.
I’m so fucking happy as we walk down the street toward the park. I don’t think I’ve ever felt like this. My heart feels like it will burst simply from being at his side and spending the day together. He can say we aren’t together, but this is a date, and he’s mine, at least for today.
We are just walking past a mattress store when a large blast fills the air. I whirl around, my eyes wide as the glass explodes behind us. My reflexes are fast, but I hesitate. Zia doesn’t. He tackles me to the concrete, shielding us behind a car. It’s only then that I realize what the noise is.
Gunfire rains down around us as I duck, raising my arms to cover Zia. He tugs himself from my arms and pulls something from his coat, and my eyes widen as he brandishes a pistol as he kneels, looking at me. “Stay here,” he barks as he moves down the car.
“Zia!” I reach for him, but he ignores me, and when the gunfire stops, the silence is deafening.
Snarling, he rips open the back door and props his arm on the top of it, shooting blindly at a car. There’s a squeal of tires, and then more gunfire. Zia ducks, glancing back at me.
“Are you okay?” he yells.
I stare at him and the gun in his hand. Everything around me seems to slow before bursting into clarity.
“Nikko, are you okay?” he roars.
“Fine, I’m fine. Are you?” I search him, but he turns away, holding the gun over the door as he returns fire. Sirens fill the air, and a car peels away. He waits before peering over the car, then he turns to me.
“We need to get out of here.” Grabbing my hand, he holds his gun out and walks to the other end of the car, ensuring the coast is clear before he looks at me. “Keep up, okay? Duck if I tell you to.”
I nod woodenly before shaking myself, and we burst into a sprint down the side alley toward my bike. When we reach it, I start the engine with shaking hands and pull him on behind me, and we race away just as cops pull onto the road we were on.
Zia doesn’t put his gun away until we are behind my locked door, and then he’s pacing with his phone out. I stand there, useless and confused.
Shock, I think.
“That’s the street,” he snaps. “Deal with it and find out who the hell is brazen enough to attack me outright like that. I want names before nightfall. Make it happen.” He hangs up and glances at me.
His expression softens as he walks my way and cups my face, looking me over.
“Are you okay?” His voice is gentle and slow.
“Just breathe, Nikko. It’s okay. They won’t come here. I promise you’re safe.”
“Me?” I croak. “What about you?” I grip his jacket and toss it away, tugging his shirt off next as I search for any wounds. All I find are some scrapes on his hands from the glass, but even those small cuts annoy me.
“Nikko. Nikko!” I don’t know how long he’s been repeating my name, but I jerk my head up as he covers my hands. “I’m okay.”
“I could have lost you.” I’m breathing heavily. I don’t know why. Terror grips my heart. I was too late, too stupid. He could have died.
“You didn’t,” he murmurs.
“I could have!” I roar as I stare into his eyes. The idea of him dying makes me want to hit something. I gasp and need . . . something. Anything.
“Nikko,” he murmurs softly. “Really—”
I cut off his words by pressing my lips to his.
I swallow his gasp and lift his hands as I back him up against the wall. Breaking the kiss, I rip his shirt off, leaving him wide-eyed and unsure as my gaze devours his chest.
“I need to see that you’re okay,” I rasp. His head jerks in a nod as he kisses me. My hands slide down, unbuckle his pants, and shove them down. His moan is so hot in my mouth, desperation to claim him fills me.
Spinning him, I yank his boxers down and kick his legs apart.
His palms hit the wall as he pants, his eyes wide as he looks over his shoulder at me.
I’m never this rough, but I can’t stop as I unzip my jeans and take out my length.
Lining up with his tight ass, I slam into him in one smooth move.
His yell is muffled by the wall as I slide my hands up his arms and lace my fingers with his.
“Nikko . . .” His tight, hot ass grips my length as I hammer into him, my grunts mixing with his moans as I nip his neck. He pushes back, taking me just as ruthlessly before he kicks me back.
I stumble backwards from the unexpected movement, tripping over my own pants, and I go down, hard.
Blinking, I stare up at him as he spins and drops to his knees.
Zia climbs up my body until his lips reach mine, and he kisses me as he straddles my waist. I grip his hips, urging him on as he lowers onto my length, taking every inch of me.
His groan echoes in my mouth as he starts to ride me hard and fast, our kiss breaking as he pushes me back.
His nails dig into my chest, marking me as I hiss.
He rides me like it’s the first or last time, touching every inch of me as he goes wild. I meet him halfway, just as feral, but there’s an edge to his movements.
“Baby,” I growl as pleasure spirals through me. I try to slow him down, but he ignores me, moving faster. “Shit, Zia, I’ll—”
My words end in a groan as my release explodes through me. Lifting up, I bury myself as deep as I can inside him and come, my eyes rolling back. I hear him cry out as he shudders, his release splashing across us before he slumps in my arms.
Groaning, I try to hold him, but my arms and legs won’t work properly yet. He lifts himself from me and collapses next to me.
“Shit,” he murmurs, my arms and legs tangled over him. “I should get shot at every day.”
“Me too.” My grunt is loud when he hits my chest, his glare aimed at me as I blink at him.
“Don’t even joke like that. I couldn’t handle something happening to you.” There’s something in his voice that makes me frown and sit up, the afterglow fading as I cup his face.
“We’re fine.” He nods and forces a smile, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. Stumbling to my feet, I scoop him into my arms and carry us to the bedroom. Once there, I drop him on the bed and climb in behind him, pulling him into my arms.
“Let’s rest a little,” I suggest as I kiss his neck, “then I’ll cook you some food and show you just how okay we are.”
“Deal,” he whispers, covering my hand with his, but he’s stiff in my arms.
I don’t want to close my eyes, afraid if I sleep, he might disappear when I do. I force them to stay open, even as they burn, while sleep tries to claim me, but I can’t fight it anymore.
I fall under, my last sight of him.
I wake up with gunfire in my ears. I sit bolt upright, my heart racing and skin coated in sweat.
“Zia!” I shout when I look to the right of me and find the bed empty.
Scrambling, I fall over the edge. “Zia!” I yell as I race down the corridor.
The kitchen and dining room are empty, so I open the bathroom door, but it’s empty too.
I run through my apartment, ripping open doors, but he’s nowhere to be seen.
The apartment is silent. There’s no trace of him at all.
I rush to the door, where I see a note pinned to the back of it.
I’m sorry I got you involved. I never should have. Forget you ever met me, Nikko. Go back to your life. Stay safe. Look after yourself. Don’t find me.
~Your Zia.
That’s it, nothing more. He’s gone, and as I reread his perfect writing, I know it’s for good. I wondered why yesterday felt like he was fucking and kissing me for the last time, and now I know why.
He’s blaming himself, worried he could have gotten me hurt.
Zia thinks he’s a problem, that his life is too dangerous.
Yesterday was eye-opening, I’ll admit, but not enough to scare me off.
I want Zia and whatever that entails. I can be better, stronger, and faster, and I can keep him safe.
I wasn’t made for his life, but I can learn.
He hasn’t given me the chance to though. He just left, cutting me off completely.
It’s to keep me safe, but it terrifies me. I spin wildly, searching for any sign he’s hiding or lingering close by, as if he will pop out and tell me it’s a joke, but he doesn’t.
He’s gone.
Roaring, I sweep my arm over my counter, sending everything to the floor, but I don’t care. I knew it, I felt it, and I still fell asleep like an idiot.
My door bursts open, and Charlie stands there. I must look wild as I clutch the note.
“Nikko, what’s wrong?” he asks.
“Zia,” I croak as I grab my phone and turn away.
It doesn’t even ring.
He blocked me.
He cut me out of his life like I was never there. He walked away, and as I stand in the silence, I know I’ll never be the same.
When he left the first morning, I felt like I lost something important, but now?
I feel like I lost a part of me.
The best part.
I feel like I lost my forever.